Globonomics!

I read this on the Internet today (Source: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece)

While I had an urge to put this to every person to spare a thought for the environment and think of the fact that I needed to curtail my Google searches and use them judiciously as I am a heavy user of Google search on my PC, Macbook and on my Blackberry (almost 12/24 hours a day), I realized, I was doing something fundamentally incorrect.

First off, I do not believe Google is a major offender in this. We create a 900 gms emission of CO2 in the air every day we breathe. This carbon footprint is quite a bit.

Further, while blaming Google search is the easier way out, think of the number of times we have been spared of getting into our clothes, getting into our car, going to the nearest information resource, collecting the information on either a book or on printed paper and emitting a carbon footprint in all those that far exceeds the convenience of switching on your PC and doing a Google search! Think about this.

On my side, I have made a deliberate attempt to:

1. Rely more on ebooks than on print material.

2. Try to use recycled paper for printing purposes or refer to books and paper printed using recycled material.

3. Discourage office staff from using printers blindly for every task.

4. Permanently keep a caveat to limit people from printing my emails (I send a ton of those daily) to spare a thought for the environment.

5. We sold 1 car and now use only 1 car and walk wherever possible to limit air pollution.

6. We participated on March 28th 2008 campaign to switch off all lights in our flat for 30 minutes participating in the Earth hour campaign - http://www.earthhour.org/

And lastly,

USE GOOGLE SEARCH to optimize my carbon footprint!